Washing machine

ABSTRACT

A washing machine including a housing and a detergent supply device to supply detergents. The detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case. The rotary case is rotated so that the upper portions of the detergent containers are protruded forwardly, and thus the detergents are easily injected into the respective detergent containers.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0003773, filed on Jan. 15, 2010 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments relate to a washing machine with a detergent supply device to supply detergents used for washing.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, washing machines are apparatuses, each of which is provided with a tub and a drum and is used to wash contaminated laundry using water and a detergent. Among washing machines, there is a washing machine which washes laundry using a difference in elevation.

Such a washing machine includes a tub provided in a main body to contain water, a drum rotatably installed in the tub, a water supply device to supply water into the tub and the drum, a drain device to discharge water used for washing to the outside of the main body after completion of washing, and a detergent supply device to enable a detergent to dissolve in water in connection with the water supply device.

Recently, a washing machine including a first washing unit and a second washing unit vertically disposed to simultaneously wash different kinds of laundry has been proposed. Each of the first washing unit and the second washing unit of this washing machine includes a tub and a drum so that the first washing unit and the second washing unit independently perform washing. The washing machine further includes a first detergent supply device and a second detergent supply device to supply detergents to the first washing unit and the second washing unit, respectively.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an aspect to provide a washing machine in which detergents are more conveniently injected into a detergent supply device.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the embodiments.

In accordance with one aspect, a washing machine includes a housing, and a detergent supply device to supply detergents, wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.

The washing machine may further include a receipt case installed on the housing to rotatably receive the rotary case.

The washing machine may further include arc-shaped guide grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and guide protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and movably installed in the guide grooves.

The washing machine may further include latch grooves extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves.

The washing machine may further include hinge grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and hinge protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and rotatably installed in the hinge grooves, and the hinge grooves may be extended vertically to guide upward and downward movement of the hinge protrusions.

The detergent supply device may further include valve units to respectively control the detergents contained in the detergent containers, and each valve unit may include a valve body provided with a channel formed therein, a pair of check valves disposed at both ends of the channel and selectively opened and closed according to pressure of a space between the pair of check valves, a piston moving forwardly and backwardly by external force to change the pressure of the space between the pair of check valves, and a restoring spring to elastically support the piston.

The washing machine may further include a water supply pipe connected with an external water supply source, and mixing units installed at the lower end of the valve body and connected to the middle portion of the water supply pipe to mix the respective detergents and water.

The washing machine may further include a first washing unit and a second washing unit disposed vertically, the housing may include a first housing forming an external appearance of the first washing unit, and the detergent supply device may include a first detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first housing.

In accordance with another aspect, a washing machine includes a first washing unit, a second washing unit disposed under the first washing unit to perform washing independently of the first washing unit, and a detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first washing unit to supply detergents used in the first washing unit, wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, a receipt case to rotatably receive the rotary case, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and/or other aspects will become apparent and more readily appreciated from the following description of the embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine in accordance with one embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the washing machine in accordance with the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a detergent supply device applied to the washing machine in accordance with the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal-sectional view of the detergent supply device applied to the washing machine in accordance with the embodiment; and

FIGS. 5 to 7 are side views illustrating an operating state of the detergent supply device applied to the washing machine in accordance with the embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout.

As shown in FIG. 1, a washing machine in accordance with one embodiment includes a first washing unit 100 and a second washing unit 200, which are independently operated. The second washing unit 200 is configured to wash a larger amount of laundry than the first washing unit 100, and the first washing unit 100 is disposed on the upper surface of the second washing unit 200 in consideration of vibration and safety.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first washing unit 100 includes a first tub 120 provided in a first housing 110 forming an external appearance of the first washing unit 100 to contain water, a first drum 130 rotatably installed in the first tub 120 and rotated to wash laundry using a difference in elevation, a first driving device 150 to rotate the first drum 130, a first water supply device 160 to supply water, to be used for washing, to the first tub 120, a first drain device 170 to discharge water, which has been used for washing, to the outside, and a first detergent supply device 180 to enable detergents to dissolve in water to be supplied to the first tub 120 in connection with the first water supply device 160.

A first door 140, through which a user puts laundry into the first drum 130, is installed on the front surface of the first housing 110. The first water supply device 160 includes a first water supply pipe 161 to guide water from an external water supply source to the first tub 120, and a first water supply valve 162 installed on the first water supply pipe 161 to open and close the first water supply pipe 161. The first drain device 170 includes a first drain pipe 171 to guide water in the first tub 120 to the outside, and a first drain pump 172 installed on the first drain pipe 171 to discharge the water in the first tub 120 to the outside.

The second washing unit 200 includes a second tub 220 provided in a second housing 210 forming an external appearance of the second washing unit 200 to contain water, a second drum 230 rotatably installed in the second tub 220 and rotated to wash laundry using a difference in elevation, a second driving device 250 to rotate the second drum 230, a second water supply device 260 to supply water, to be used for washing, to the second tub 220, a second drain device 270 to discharge water, which has been used for washing, to the outside, and a second detergent supply device 280 to enable detergents to dissolve in water to be supplied to the second tub 220 in connection with the second water supply device 260.

A second door 240, through which a user puts laundry into the second drum 230, is installed on the front surface of the second housing 210. The first water supply device 260 includes a second water supply pipe 261 to guide water from an external water supply source to the second tub 220, and a second water supply valve 262 installed on the second water supply pipe 261 to open and close the second water supply pipe 261. The second drain device 270 includes a second drain pipe 271 to guide water in the second tub 220 to the outside, and a second drain pump 272 installed on the second drain pipe 271 to discharge the water in the second tub 220 to the outside.

Among the detergent supply devices 180 and 280, the first detergent supply device 180 of the first washing unit 100 is installed on the lower portion of the first washing unit 100 such that a user may easily put the detergent into the first detergent supply device 180. In this embodiment, the first detergent supply device 180 is installed on the lower portion of the front surface of the first housing 110.

The first detergent supply device 180, as shown in FIG. 3, includes a rotary case 182 installed so as to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated so that the upper end thereof is protruded forwardly, a receipt case 181 installed on the front surface of the first housing 110 and provided with a first receipt part 181 a to receive the rotary case 182, detergent containers 183 separably installed in the rotary case 182 to contain liquid detergents, and a cap 184 to open and close an injection hole 183 a provided on the upper surface of the detergent container 183. A second receipt part 182 a to receive the detergent container 183 is provided in the rotary case 182, and a pair of detergent containers 183 are separably installed in the second receipt part 182 a such that detergents, such as a cleaner and a fabric rinse, are separately stored in the respective detergent containers 183.

In order to rotatably install the rotary case 182 in the receipt case 181, hinge grooves 181 d are depressed on the lower portion of the first receipt part 181 a of the receipt case 181, and hinge protrusions 182 c are formed on both sides of the lower end of the rotary case 182. Further, arc-shaped guide grooves 181 b to limit rotation of the rotary case 182 to a designated angle range are provided on the receipt case 181, and guide protrusions 182 b movably installed in the guide grooves 181 b are provided on the rotary case 182, thereby causing rotation of the rotary case 182 to be guided and limited by the guide grooves 181 b and the guide protrusions 182 b.

Further, in order to maintain a forwardly protruded state of the rotary case 182, latch grooves 181 c extended downwardly from the front end of the guide grooves 181 b are provided on the receipt case 181, and the hinge grooves 181 d are extended vertically. That is, the guide protrusions 182 b are latched onto the latch grooves 181 c under the condition that the upper end of the rotary case 182 is protruded forwardly, and such a structure prevents the upper end of the rotary case 182 from moving backwardly, even when external force is transmitted to the rotary case 182 during injection of the detergent into the detergent container 183, thereby allowing a user to stably inject the detergent into the detergent container 183.

As shown in FIG. 4, the first detergent supply device 180 further includes valve units 185, each of which is connected to a supply hole 183 b provided on the lower surface of each of the detergent containers 183 to control selective supply of the detergent of the detergent container 183. A mixing unit 186 connected to a middle portion of the first supply pipe 161 to mix the detergent supplied through each valve unit 185 with water supplied through the first water supply pipe 161 is installed under each valve unit 185. A sealing member 185 d for sealing is interposed between each valve unit 185 and each detergent container 183, and a first support plane 181 e and a second support plane 183 c supported by each other to stably seat the detergent container 183 on the valve unit 185 through the sealing member 185 d are provided on the inner surface of the upper portion of the receipt case 181 and the rear surface of the upper portion of the detergent container 183.

The valve unit 185 includes a valve body 185 a provided with a channel formed therein, a first check valve 185 e and a second check valve 185 f respectively disposed at both ends of the channel and selectively opened and closed according to pressure of a space between the first and second check valves 185 e and 185 f, a piston 185 b moved forwardly and backwardly through external force to change the pressure of the space between the first check valve 185 e and the second check valve 185 f, and an elastic member 185 c elastically supporting the piston 185 b to restore the piston 185 b to its original position.

The first check valve 185 e and the second check valve 185 f serve to open and close the channel provided within the valve body 185 a due to a pressure difference therebetween. When the pressure of the space between the first check valve 185 e and the second check valve 185 f is raised according to forward movement of the piston 185 b toward the channel due to external force, the second check valve 185 f is opened and thus the liquid detergent filling the channel is introduced into the mixing unit 186 through the second check valve 185 f, and when the pressure of the space between the first check valve 185 e and the second check valve 185 f is lowered according to backward movement of the piston 185 b due to elastic restoring force of the elastic member 185 c, the second check valve 185 f is closed and the first check valve 185 e is opened and thus the detergent in the detergent container 183 is introduced into the space between the first check valve 185 e and the second check valve 185 f.

Next, operation of the above first detergent supply device will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, when a user pulls the upper end of the rotary case 182 under the condition that the rotary case 182 is received in the first receipt part 181 a, as shown in FIG. 5, the rotary case 182 is rotated about the lower end thereof, and the guide protrusions 182 b move forwardly along the guide grooves 181 b. Thereby, the upper end of the rotary case 182 is protruded forwardly, as shown in FIG. 6, and thus the upper portions of the detergent containers 183 received in the second receipt part 182 a are exposed to the outside.

Since the latch grooves 181 c are extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves 181 b and the hinge grooves 181 d are extended vertically, the rotary case 182 protruded forwardly moves downwardly due to gravity, and thus the guide protrusions 182 b move downwardly along the latch grooves 181 c.

Under the above state, even if external force is applied to the upper end of the rotary case 182 in the backward direction, the rotary case 182 is not rotated due to the guide protrusions 182 b supported by the latch grooves 181 c. In this state, in order to cause the rotary case 182 to be received in the receipt case 181, the rotary case 182 is lifted up by a designated distance so as to separate the guide protrusions 182 b from the latch grooves 181 c, and then force is applied to the upper end of the rotary case 182 in the backward direction so as to move the guide protrusions 182 b along the guide grooves 181 b, and thereby the rotary case 182 is rotated about the hinge protrusions 182 c provided on the lower end thereof and is received in the receipt case 181.

Accordingly, it may be possible to prevent the rotary case 182 from being received in the first receipt part 181 a by external force applied to the rotary case 182 during injection of the detergent into the detergent container 183.

Although this embodiment exemplarily illustrates the first detergent supply device 180, the second detergent supply device 280 may be formed in the same structure as the first detergent supply device 180.

As is apparent from the above description, a washing machine in accordance with one embodiment allows the upper portions of detergent containers of a detergent supply device to be protruded forwardly through rotation of a rotary case, thereby enabling detergents to be easily injected into the detergent containers.

Further, the detergent supply device is installed on the lower portion of a first washing unit located on the upper surface of a second washing unit, thereby enabling the detergents to be more easily injected into the detergent containers.

Although a few embodiments have been shown and described, it would be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the claims and their equivalents. 

1. A washing machine comprising: a housing; and a detergent supply device to supply detergents, wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.
 2. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a receipt case installed on the housing to rotatably receive the rotary case.
 3. The washing machine according to claim 2, further comprising arc-shaped guide grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and guide protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and movably installed in the guide grooves.
 4. The washing machine according to claim 3, further comprising latch grooves extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves.
 5. The washing machine according to claim 4, further comprising hinge grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and hinge protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and rotatably installed in the hinge grooves, wherein the hinge grooves are extended vertically to guide upward and downward movement of the hinge protrusions.
 6. The washing machine according to claim 1, wherein: the detergent supply device further includes valve units to control the detergents contained in the detergent containers; and each of the valve units includes a valve body provided with a channel formed therein, a pair of check valves disposed at both ends of the channel and selectively opened and closed according to pressure of a space between the pair of check valves, a piston moving forwardly and backwardly by external force to change the pressure of the space between the pair of check valves, and a restoring spring to elastically support the piston.
 7. The washing machine according to claim 6, further comprising: a water supply pipe connected with an external water supply source; and mixing units installed at the lower end of the valve body and connected to the middle portion of the water supply pipe to mix the respective detergents and water.
 8. The washing machine according to claim 1, further comprising a first washing unit and a second washing unit disposed vertically, wherein the housing includes a first housing forming an external appearance of the first washing unit, and the detergent supply device includes a first detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first housing.
 9. A washing machine comprising: a first washing unit; a second washing unit disposed under the first washing unit to perform washing independently of the first washing unit; and a detergent supply device installed on the lower portion of the first washing unit to supply detergents used in the first washing unit, wherein the detergent supply device includes a rotary case installed to be rotatable about the lower end thereof and rotated to be protruded from the housing, a receipt case to rotatably receive the rotary case, and detergent containers detachably installed in the rotary case.
 10. The washing machine according to claim 9, further comprising arc-shaped guide grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, latch grooves extended downwardly from the front ends of the guide grooves, and guide protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and movably installed in the guide grooves and the latch grooves.
 11. The washing machine according to claim 10, further comprising hinge grooves provided on any one of the receipt case and the rotary case, and hinge protrusions provided on the other one of the receipt case and the rotary case and rotatably installed in the hinge grooves, wherein the hinge grooves are extended vertically to guide upward and downward movement of the hinge protrusions.
 12. The washing machine according to claim 11, wherein the guide grooves, latch grooves and guide protrusions are configured so that the rotary case is lifted up by a designated distance so as to separate the guide protrusions from the latch grooves, and force is then applied to the upper end of the rotary case in the backward direction to move the guide protrusions along the guide grooves to thereby rotate the rotary case about the hinge protrusions. 